Agronomic trait evaluation of field-grown transgenic rice plants containing the hygromycin resistance gene and the maize Activator element

Abstract

We grew under field conditions progeny of protoplast-derived control and transgenic rice plants ( Oryza sativa L. cultivar Nipponbare) containing a hygromycin resistance gene and the maize transposable element Activator (Ac), and compared 6 major agronomic traits of mature plants. Lines from rice plants regenerated from protoplasts showed normal agronomic performance comparable to their wild-type controls. Of the progeny lines containing the hygromycin resistance gene, 7 out of 8 had relatively normal agronomic traits compared to protoplast-derived plants. In contrast, transgenic plants containing the Ac element produced a significantly higher frequency of phenotypic variation in 4 out of 6 agronomic traits examined. Among 10 progeny lines, only 2 produced phenotypes rosembling those of protoplast-derived controls. One sterility and one albinism phenotypic variation in Ac-containing progeny were correlated with the presence of an active Ac element that had been transposed to a different genomic location.